Hello Steve & PIC.ers,

I could write books and bore y'all to death with my business background.
20 years of it, pleased as can be, these days.
In days gone it was a different story...

Be prepared for `upsets', like customers with endless promises of
1.    Repeat orders of product (never comes).
2.    We owe you, but you're a small outfit so it can't hurt you to wait.
3.    Sure, you've finished this fandangle the way we asked, but it's
        no use to us if it doesn't have these mods done first.

As others have said, I suppose the best insurance is to have committed
customers in whom you have confidence.

That's to start off with, then ask yourself
`Does this customer expect me to work exclusively on their behalf,
on products meant for them alone?'
`What will their attitude be if I find others who would like to buy the
finished item from me?'   (naturally, these folks are their competitors).

I've concluded there are two extremes in financing the development
of a new product.
Case    Alpha.
    Customer pays the lot up front, no questions. He's confident of a return.
Case    Omega.
    Developer funds the project, hopes to sell end product & make profit.

In case Alpha., customer owns everything & scores providing the product
takes off.
In case Omega., developer owns the product and wants only to sell it a price
point that gives him the maximum return over a chosen period, life-of-product
or suchlike. Down the list of priorities comes the welfare of the original
client.

Judge your customer carefully, see where they fit in this spectrum.
Do *they* have a proper understanding of these issues?
Both of you can easily be in a cuckoo-land of misunderstandings before
you even start.

nuff said,  enjoy

        best regards,  John


email from the desk of John Sanderson.
JS Controls, PO Box 1887, Boksburg 1460, Rep. of S. Africa.
Tel/Fax 011 893 4154,
Cell 082 741 6275,
web    http://www.jscontrols.co.za
Manufacturer & purveyor of laboratory force testing apparatus &
related products & services.

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